Gale Warning 125, NWS Anchorage, AK

957 
FZAK61 PAFC 250001
OFFAER

OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
301 PM AKST WED FEB 24 2016

OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR THE GULF OF ALASKA WEST OF 144W

WIND FORECASTS REFLECT THE PREDOMINANT SPEED AND DIRECTION
EXPECTED. SEA FORECASTS REPRESENT AN AVERAGE OF THE HIGHEST
ONE-THIRD OF THE COMBINED WIND WAVE AND SWELL HEIGHT.

PKZ399-251415-
301 PM AKST WED FEB 24 2016
.SYNOPSIS FOR THE WESTERN GULF OF ALASKA...

A FRONT OVER THE NORTHERN GULF MOVES ONSHORE AND DISSIPATES THIS
EVENING. ANOTHER FRONT ACROSS THE FAR SOUTHWESTERN GULF CONTINUES
THROUGH EARLY FRI BEFORE EXITING. A 977 MB LOW NEAR 54N 145W LATE
THU MOVES TO 59N 152W FRI AFTERNOON AND MAINTAINS STRENGTH.

$$

PKZ351-251415-
GULF OF ALASKA OFFSHORE NORTH OF 57N AND WEST OF 144W-
301 PM AKST WED FEB 24 2016

...GALE WARNING THURSDAY NIGHT...

.TONIGHT...S WIND 15 TO 30 KT. SEAS 15 TO 18 FT. RAIN.
.THU...SE WIND 15 TO 25 KT. SEAS 14 FT.
.THU NIGHT...E WIND 25 TO 35 KT. SEAS 12 TO 15 FT. RAIN.
.FRI...SE WIND 25 TO 40 KT. SEAS 12 TO 19 FT.
.FRI NIGHT...SE WIND 30 KT. SEAS 12 TO 17 FT.
.SAT THROUGH MON...SE WIND 30 TO 45 KT. SEAS 13 TO 21 FT.

$$

PKZ352-251415-
GULF OF ALASKA OFFSHORE SOUTH OF 57N NORTH OF 55N AND WEST OF
144W-
301 PM AKST WED FEB 24 2016

.TONIGHT...SE WIND 15 TO 30 KT. SEAS 16 TO 19 FT.
.THU...SE WIND 25 KT. SEAS 15 FT.
.THU NIGHT...E WIND 15 TO 30 KT. SEAS 13 FT. RAIN.
.FRI...SW WIND 20 TO 35 KT. SEAS 10 TO 17 FT.
.FRI NIGHT...SE WIND 25 TO 40 KT. SEAS 10 TO 16 FT.
.SAT...SE WIND 30 TO 45 KT. SEAS 16 TO 24 FT.
.SUN THROUGH MON...SE WIND 20 TO 30 KT. SEAS 12 TO 20 FT.

$$

249 
FZAK61 PAFC 251259
OFFAER

OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
359 AM AKST THU FEB 25 2016

OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR THE GULF OF ALASKA WEST OF 144W

WIND FORECASTS REFLECT THE PREDOMINANT SPEED AND DIRECTION
EXPECTED. SEA FORECASTS REPRESENT AN AVERAGE OF THE HIGHEST
ONE-THIRD OF THE COMBINED WIND WAVE AND SWELL HEIGHT.

PKZ399-260215-
359 AM AKST THU FEB 25 2016
.SYNOPSIS FOR THE WESTERN GULF OF ALASKA...

A WEATHER FRONT ACROSS THE FAR SOUTHWESTERN GULF WILL REMAIN IN
PLACE THROUGH EARLY FRI BEFORE EXITING. A 982 MB LOW NEAR 51N
145W THIS AFTERNOON WILL TRACK TO 58N 152W AT 979 MB FRI AFTERNOON
AND MOVE INLAND FRI NIGHT. 

$$

PKZ351-260215-
GULF OF ALASKA OFFSHORE NORTH OF 57N AND WEST OF 144W-
359 AM AKST THU FEB 25 2016

...GALE WARNING TONIGHT AND FRIDAY...

.TODAY...SE WIND 15 TO 25 KT. SEAS 14 FT.
.TONIGHT...E WIND 25 TO 40 KT. SEAS 14 FT. RAIN.
.FRI...SE WIND 25 TO 40 KT. SEAS 11 TO 17 FT. RAIN.
.FRI NIGHT...SE WIND 30 KT. SEAS 13 TO 17 FT.
.SAT...SE WIND 30 TO 45 KT. SEAS 14 TO 22 FT.
.SUN THROUGH MON...SE WIND 20 TO 35 KT. SEAS 12 TO 20 FT.

$$

PKZ352-260215-
GULF OF ALASKA OFFSHORE SOUTH OF 57N NORTH OF 55N AND WEST OF
144W-
359 AM AKST THU FEB 25 2016

...GALE WARNING FRIDAY...

.TODAY...SE WIND 20 TO 30 KT. SEAS 16 FT.
.TONIGHT...E WIND 15 TO 30 KT. SEAS 11 TO 15 FT. RAIN.
.FRI...S WIND 20 TO 35 KT. SEAS 10 TO 16 FT. RAIN.
.FRI NIGHT...SE WIND 25 TO 40 KT. SEAS 10 TO 16 FT.
.SAT...SE WIND 30 TO 45 KT. SEAS 15 TO 23 FT.
.SUN THROUGH MON...SE WIND 20 TO 35 KT. SEAS 12 TO 20 FT.

$$

850 
FZAK61 PAFC 252355
OFFAER

OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
255 PM AKST THU FEB 25 2016

OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR THE GULF OF ALASKA WEST OF 144W

WIND FORECASTS REFLECT THE PREDOMINANT SPEED AND DIRECTION
EXPECTED. SEA FORECASTS REPRESENT AN AVERAGE OF THE HIGHEST
ONE-THIRD OF THE COMBINED WIND WAVE AND SWELL HEIGHT.

PKZ399-261415-
255 PM AKST THU FEB 25 2016
.SYNOPSIS FOR THE WESTERN GULF OF ALASKA...

A WEATHER FRONT ACROSS THE FAR SOUTHWESTERN GULF WILL REMAIN IN
PLACE THROUGH EARLY FRI BEFORE EXITING. A 982 MB LOW NEAR 51N
145W MOVES TO 58N 150W AT 979 MB FRI AFTERNOON AND MOVES INLAND
FRI NIGHT. A 963 MB NORTH PACIFIC LOW SAT MORNING MOVES TO 54N
153W SAT AFTERNOON AND MAINTAINS STRENGTH.

$$

PKZ351-261415-
GULF OF ALASKA OFFSHORE NORTH OF 57N AND WEST OF 144W-
255 PM AKST THU FEB 25 2016

...GALE WARNING THROUGH FRIDAY...

.TONIGHT...E WIND 25 TO 35 KT. SEAS 14 FT. RAIN.
.FRI...SE WIND 25 TO 40 KT. SEAS 12 TO 19 FT. RAIN.
.FRI NIGHT...SE WIND 20 TO 30 KT. SEAS 14 TO 18 FT.
.SAT...E WIND 35 TO 45 KT. SEAS 13 TO 21 FT.
.SAT NIGHT...SE WIND 30 TO 40 KT. SEAS 18 TO 23 FT.
.SUN THROUGH TUE...SE WIND 20 TO 35 KT. SEAS 14 TO 22 FT.

$$

PKZ352-261415-
GULF OF ALASKA OFFSHORE SOUTH OF 57N NORTH OF 55N AND WEST OF
144W-
255 PM AKST THU FEB 25 2016

...GALE WARNING FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT...

.TONIGHT...E WIND 15 TO 30 KT. SEAS 11 TO 14 FT. RAIN.
.FRI...S WIND 20 TO 35 KT. SEAS 11 TO 17 FT. RAIN.
.FRI NIGHT...SE WIND 25 TO 40 KT. SEAS 10 TO 15 FT.
.SAT...E WIND 30 TO 45 KT. SEAS 14 TO 20 FT.
.SAT NIGHT...S WIND 25 TO 40 KT. SEAS 16 TO 23 FT.
.SUN THROUGH TUE...SE WIND 20 TO 35 KT. SEAS 14 TO 22 FT.

$$

137 
FZAK61 PAFC 261253
OFFAER

OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
353 AM AKST FRI FEB 26 2016

OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR THE GULF OF ALASKA WEST OF 144W

WIND FORECASTS REFLECT THE PREDOMINANT SPEED AND DIRECTION
EXPECTED. SEA FORECASTS REPRESENT AN AVERAGE OF THE HIGHEST
ONE-THIRD OF THE COMBINED WIND WAVE AND SWELL HEIGHT.

PKZ399-270215-
353 AM AKST FRI FEB 26 2016
.SYNOPSIS FOR THE WESTERN GULF OF ALASKA...

A 976 MB LOW NEAR 55N 146W WILL TRACK TO 58N 151W AT 978 MB THIS
AFTERNOON BEFORE PUSHING INLAND WEST OF KODIAK ISLAND TONIGHT. A
962 MB NORTH PACIFIC LOW WILL MOVE TO 57N 148W AS A BROAD 971 MB
LOW SAT NIGHT.

$$

PKZ351-270215-
GULF OF ALASKA OFFSHORE NORTH OF 57N AND WEST OF 144W-
353 AM AKST FRI FEB 26 2016

...STORM WARNING ON SATURDAY...

.TODAY...SE WIND 25 TO 40 KT. SEAS 12 TO 20 FT. RAIN.
.TONIGHT...S WIND 20 TO 35 KT BECOMING E AFTER MIDNIGHT. SEAS 14
TO 19 FT.
.SAT...E WIND 35 TO 50 KT. SEAS 14 TO 22 FT. RAIN.
.SAT NIGHT...SE WIND 30 TO 40 KT. SEAS 18 TO 22 FT.
.SUN...S WIND 20 TO 35 KT. SEAS 13 TO 21 FT.
.MON THROUGH TUE...SE WIND 20 TO 35 KT. SEAS 15 TO 23 FT.

$$

PKZ352-270215-
GULF OF ALASKA OFFSHORE SOUTH OF 57N NORTH OF 55N AND WEST OF
144W-
353 AM AKST FRI FEB 26 2016

...GALE WARNING THROUGH SATURDAY...

.TODAY...S TO E WIND 20 TO 35 KT. SEAS 11 TO 19 FT. RAIN.
.TONIGHT...S WIND 20 TO 30 KT BECOMING E 25 TO 40 KT AFTER
MIDNIGHT. SEAS 10 TO 16 FT. RAIN SHOWERS.
.SAT...E WIND 30 TO 45 KT DIMINISHING TO 25 TO 35 KT IN THE
AFTERNOON. SEAS 13 TO 21 FT. RAIN.
.SAT NIGHT...S WIND 25 TO 40 KT. SEAS 16 TO 23 FT.
.SUN...S WIND 20 TO 35 KT. SEAS 13 TO 21 FT.
.MON...SE WIND 20 TO 35 KT. SEAS 16 TO 26 FT.
.TUE...SE WIND 25 KT. SEAS 13 TO 19 FT.

$$

SOUTHCENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
425 PM AKST TUE FEB 23 2016

.ANALYSIS AND UPPER LEVELS...

AN ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN CONTINUES AROUND A LARGE CONSOLIDATED
ANCHOR LOW CENTERED 400 MILES SOUTH OF THE ALASKA PENINSULA. THE
MOST ACTIVE AND IMPACTFUL QUADRANT OF THIS COMPLEX LOW IS THE
NORTHEASTERN QUADRANT WITH A TRAIN OF WEATHER DISTURBANCES MOVING
FROM THE EASTERN PACIFIC NORTH TOWARD THE GULF AND SOUTHERN
ALASKA.

WEATHER RADAR HAS SHOWN SCATTERED SHOWER ACTIVITY TRANSITIONING TO
WIDESPREAD RAIN AS IT MOVES TO THE NORTHERN AND WESTERN GULF
COAST AS THE NEXT STRONG DISTURBANCE MOVES THROUGH. WITH THE
700-MB JET STREAKS DISPLACED A LITTLE TO THE NORTH OF THE 500-MB
AND 850-MB JET STREAKS AND WITH AN ONGOING LOW-STABILITY ENVIRONMENT
OVER THE GULF...WE ARE SEEING A LITTLE BIT OF SPILLOVER PRECIPITATION
ONTO THE WESTERN SLOPES OF THE KENAI AND CHUGACH MOUNTAIN RANGES.
HOWEVER...WITH FAIRLY DECENT DOWN-INLET FLOW PROVIDING A CONTINUAL
SOURCE OF DRY AIR IN THE LOWER LEVELS...MOST OF THE PRECIPITATION
IS NOT REACHING THE GROUND.

WITH THE APPROACHING FRONT TOWARD THE NORTH GULF COAST...EAST
WINDS CONTINUE TO INCREASE TO STORM-FORCE STRENGTH FOR THE
NORTHERN GULF AND INNER WATERS FROM LOWER COOK INLET THROUGH THE
BARREN ISLANDS TO SHELIKOF STRAIT. THESE WINDS WILL DIMINISH FIRST
TOWARD THE INNER WATERS THIS EVENING AND THEN WEDNESDAY MORNING
ALONG THE NORTH GULF COAST AS THE FRONT MOVES INLAND.

&&

.MODEL DISCUSSION...

MODELS ARE IN GENERALLY GOOD AGREEMENT WITH THE BROAD-SCALE
PATTERN. THE DIFFERENCES ARISE WITH THE TIMING AND EXACT STORM
TRACKS OF THE TRAIN OF SYSTEMS MOVING FROM THE EASTERN PACIFIC
NORTH TO THE GULF COAST...AS WELL AS THE STRENGTH OF THE WINDS AS
THEY APPROACH THE GULF COAST FAVORED BARRIER-JET AREAS.

&&

.SHORT TERM FORECAST SOUTHCENTRAL ALASKA (DAYS 1 AND 2)...

A STRONG STORM FORCE FRONT IS PUSHING INTO THE NORTHERN GULF COAST
AS EVIDENCED BY THE MIDDLETON RADAR AND BUOYS ACROSS THE GULF.
THIS IS SPREADING HEAVY PRECIPITATION ACROSS COASTAL LOCATIONS
WITH SOME LOCAL LIGHT PRECIP ACROSS THE WESTERN KENAI...AND A FEW
FLURRIES ACROSS ANCHORAGE. THE FRONT WILL MOVE TO THE COAST THEN
STALL TONIGHT BEFORE SLOWLY WEAKENING THROUGH WEDNESDAY EVENING.
A SERIES OF WEAKER LOWS ALONG THE BASE OF THE MAIN TROUGH WILL
SWING NORTH INTO SOUTHCENTRAL WEDNESDAY EVENING AND
THURSDAY...BRINGING SLIGHT CHANCES OF PRECIP TO INLAND
LOCATIONS...ALTHOUGH ANY INLAND PRECIPITATION WILL BE LIGHT.
STRONG EASTERLY WINDS WILL ACCELERATE DOWN TURNAGAIN ARM AND
THROUGH PORTAGE VALLEY AND PASSAGE CANAL THROUGH TOMORROW BEFORE
DIMINISHING AS THE FRONT WEAKENS.

&&

.SHORT TERM FORECAST SOUTHWEST ALASKA (DAYS 1 AND 2)...

THE FRONT IS MOVING INTO SOUTHWEST MAINLAND ALASKA THIS AFTERNOON
AND BRINING GUSTY WINDS AND WARMER TEMPERATURES WITH IT. THERE
WILL BE A BIT OF DOWNSLOPE WEST OF THE ALASKA AND ALEUTIAN RANGES
SO PRECIPITATION WILL BE LIMITED. THERE IS A BETTER CHANCE OF
PRECIPITATION WEST OF KING SALMON IN THE BRISTOL BAY ZONE AS THE
DOWNSLOPE WILL BE LESS. AREAS CLOSER TO BETHEL WILL LIKELY REMAIN
COLD ENOUGH TO REMAIN SNOW FOR UNTIL WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. HOWEVER
THERE ARE LOW QPF VALUES THAT FAR WEST SO SNOWFALL...WHILE LIKELY
TO OCCUR...WILL BE OF LIMITED AMOUNTS.

&&

.SHORT TERM FORECAST BERING SEA/ALEUTIANS (DAYS 1 AND 2)...

THE FAR EASTERN BERING SEA WILL BE WARMING UP SOME WITH THE FRONT
MOVING INTO THE REGION. THIS FRONT WILL STALL TOMORROW AS IT
MOVES WESTWARD. THIS WILL BRING A CHANCE FOR SOME BLOWING SNOW TO
THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS AS THERE SHOULD BE NORTHWEST FLOW KEEPING
THEM COLD ENOUGH FOR SNOW. THE HIGHEST AMOUNTS OF SNOW WILL LIKELY
REMAIN EAST OF THAT AREA SO THE VISIBILITIES SHOULD NOT BE REDUCED
OVERLY LOW IN ANY BLOWING SNOW THAT OCCURS THERE.

&&

.LONG TERM FORECAST (DAYS 3 THROUGH 7)...
FORECAST THINKING THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK REMAINS LARGELY
UNCHANGED AS RIDGING OVER WESTERN CANADA AND THE NORTH PACIFIC
LONGWAVE TROUGH HELP TO STEER A SERIES OF LOWS TOWARDS THE ALASKA
PENINSULA. THIS WILL KEEP BROAD ONSHORE FLOW AND ASSOCIATED
PRECIPITATION FOCUSED ALONG THE GULF COAST THROUGH MUCH OF THE
NEXT WEEK WHILE INLAND AREAS IN THE LEE OF THE COASTAL RANGES STAY
RELATIVELY DRY AS A RESULT OF PERSISTENT DOWNSLOPE FLOW. THE BEST
CHANCES FOR SHOWERS OVER THE COOK INLET AND MAT-SU REGIONS WILL
COME AS INDIVIDUAL DISTURBANCES PUSH INLAND LATE THIS WEEK AND
AGAIN TOWARDS THE BEGINNING OF NEXT WEEK. MEANWHILE...THE BERING
WILL REMAIN IN A FAIRLY BENIGN SHOWERY REGIME ON THE NORTHERN
PERIPHERY OF THE LONGWAVE TROUGH AS ALL OF THE UPPER LEVEL JET
ENERGY REMAINS WELL SOUTH OF THE ALEUTIAN CHAIN. THE LOWS
APPROACHING THE AKPEN WILL BRING THE OCCASIONAL POTENTIAL FOR
STRONGER WINDS AND HEAVIER PRECIPITATION TO PORTIONS OF THE
SOUTHEAST BERING.

&&

.AFC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
PUBLIC...NONE.
MARINE...STORM WARNING 119 120 125 130 131.
 GALE WARNING 129 132 136 137 138 139 140 150 155 160 165 170 171
172 173 174 179 180 185.
 HEAVY FRZ SPRAY 185.

&&

SYNOPSIS AND MODEL DISCUSSION...CC
SOUTHCENTRAL ALASKA...JA
SOUTHWEST ALASKA/BERING SEA/ALEUTIANS...EZ
LONG TERM...CB